


An Unexpected Transition

by GaeilgeRua



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 12:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22849954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/pseuds/GaeilgeRua
Summary: An article in the Prophet prompts Ron to reach out to a former adversary, putting unforeseen changes into motion.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Ron Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23
Collections: Ron/Draco Fest - Better Together





	An Unexpected Transition

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to J and J for reading this over making it make sense. Any errors after they looked it over are my own. I also want to thank FangQueen for not only running this event but giving me an extension when my muse completely changed ideas on this. To the promoter, I hope you enjoy, even if my muse only partially followed your prompt.
> 
> Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

_REMAINING DEATH EATER TRIALS SET_

_In the wake of the trails of He Who Must Not Be Named's high profile Death Eaters, the trials for the remaining Death Eaters currently under house arrest or in Ministry holding cells have been released._

_Turn to page A4 for the complete listing._

Ron flipped to the page in question and casually glanced over the list. He recognised quite a few of the names as former Slytherins along with a couple of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws from the First Wizarding War, but most of the names he recognised were of students from his time at Hogwarts. About halfway down, he spotted a name he knew very well.

_Draco Lucius Malfoy-27 April 1999_

Blue eyes lost focus as Ron continued to stare at the other teenager's name.

_"Ron! Follow me!" Harry yelled over the roar of Crabbe's out of control Fiendfyre. "Hermione, get to the entrance and get out!"_

_Following Harry's order, Hermione disappeared towards the far side of the room, and Ron shot off after his best mate's broom._

_He wanted to ask what Harry was thinking of going back towards the fire, but his silent question was soon answered._

_Goyle and Malfoy were running as quickly as possible towards the room's entrance, but they kept getting slowed down by the falling objects around them._

_Harry darted down and pulled Goyle up onto his broom behind him before he sped back up into the air. Ron hesitated for only a split second before he dropped to the ground to pick up Malfoy._

_Ron held out his hand. "Come on, Malfoy."_

_The blond didn't waste any time as he reached up and grabbed Ron's hand to hoist himself onto the back._

_"I'm on," Malfoy said. "Let's go, Weasley."_

_"Hold on!" Ron called out as he leaned forward._

_The fire roared up behind them as Ron flattened himself against the handle coaxing as much speed from the old broom as possible. Ron did his best to ignore the tight grip Malfoy had on the sides of his clothes as they wove their way between the towering piles of objects that had yet to fall from the winds of the inferno still trying to catch them._

_He felt Malfoy shift behind him before the blond cursed under his breath. "Fuck! Hurry up, Weasley. It's gaining on us."_

_"Then lean against me so we can get as much out of this broom as possible," Ron told him. Before Malfoy could say anything, he added, "And this doesn't mean we like each other, but it will get us out of here faster."_

_Malfoy snorted. "Definitely not, Weasley," he said, but he leaned closer to Ron anyways._

_Many tense minutes later, the duo burst through the entrance of the room and skidded to a stop a few feet from the others._

_"Nice stop, Weasley," the blond snickered._

_"Oh, bugger off, Malfoy," Ron replied._

"Ron," a voice said as someone shook his arm, "are you okay?"

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his mind, Ron looked to see Hermione standing next to him.

She was staying with the Weasleys for the time being since her parents were still in Australia. The couple had been located relatively quickly, but Healers were having some difficulty returning their memories due to Hermione's thoroughness.

"Yeah," he mumbled as he closed the paper before placing it on the coffee table. "I was just reading through the list of names and upcoming trial dates."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Who's name caught your attention?"

Ron grinned ruefully. "Malfoy of all people."

Hermione sat down next to him on the sofa. "I can see why. You haven't seen him since the end of the war when he rode on the back of your broom out of the Room of Requirement. A shared event like that would create a connection between the two of you."

"Yeah," Ron mumbled.

"The same has happened with Harry and Goyle," she pointed.

He nodded. "True."

"Have you…" Hermione hesitated for a few seconds before continuing, "have you thought about going to see him?"

Ron frowned and shook his head. "No, but maybe I should?"

Hermione bit her lower lip to keep from smiling at his half-question, half-answer. "It might not be a bad idea, but it is definitely up to you."

She stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your mum wanted me to tell you that supper is almost ready, and she wants you to set the table."

"Okay," Ron sighed before he grinned and stood up. "Lead the way."

* * *

Ron glanced down at the parchment in his hand, looking at the address one last time.

A couple of days after he read the article in the Daily Prophet and had his conversation with Hermione, he ended up reaching out to Malfoy. Pig returned late that same evening with the other wizard's response. He'd agreed to a meeting, giving Ron the location of the Dover home he and his mum had moved into after the war and his father's incarceration at Azkaban.

There were a lot of unknowns for Ron going into this meeting with Malfoy, but he is the one who asked for it, so he just needed to pluck up his Gryffindor courage and grab some Floo powder.

Dropping the green powder into the fireplace, Ron stepped in as he called out his destination, "Selwyn Cottage."

Spinning thought the Floo Network, Ron soon found himself on the other side of the country. He landed on his feet with a dull thud and a small cloud of soot at his feet.

Ron pulled out his wand and whispered a cleaning spell before he ducked out from the fireplace.

"I'm glad to see your mother instilled some manners in you," a voice uttered from his left.

"Draco! I taught _you_ better than that," another voice said.

Ron turned just in time to see Narcissa Malfoy smack her son upside the back of his head.

"Young Mr Weasley asked to meet with you, the least you can do is be respectful," she added.

"I apologise, Mrs Malfoy. I did not come here to cause trouble," Ron explained. "I just came to see how you both were doing."

"Of course you did, Mr Weasley," Narcissa replied. "I cannot speak for my son, but I am doing as well as one can be while awaiting trial."

Ron opened his mouth to apologise for reminding the Malfoy matriarch of what awaited both her and her son, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"No need to apologise, Mr Weasley," she told him. "I have had time to come to terms with what I was a part of and any potential punishment. Now, enough about me, you came to speak with Draco. I will leave him to show you to the parlour where Figgy has laid out tea for you."

"Thank you, Mrs Malfoy," Ron said.

He watched as she disappeared further into the cottage.

"Come on, Weasley," Malfoy muttered as he turned and walked in the opposite direction of his mother.

Ron quietly followed him, feeling the tension between the two of them already starting to build.

The silence continued as both wizards prepared their own tea.

Malfoy sat back in his chair and regarded Ron silently for a few moments before he finally asked, "So, what did you really want, Weasley?"

Ron took a sip from his tea before he answered, "I really did want to check and see how you were doing."

"Why now?" Malfoy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I wanted to talk to you right after the war, but when I learned of my brother's death…" he trailed off with a shrug. Ron cleared his throat and added, "I saw the Prophet's article."

"Ah, so that's why you're here," Malfoy said. "Come to collect the life debt I owe you then?"

"What? No," Ron replied. "I honestly wanted to know how you were doing, Malfoy. But if you're going to act like this, then I'll see myself out."

Ron stood up and placed his teacup on the table between them.

"Sit down, Weasley," Malfoy said as he reached towards Ron. His hand dropped to his lap before they could touch, but the movement caught the redhead's attention.

Ron stopped and stood there, waiting for Malfoy to continue.

"Look, I'm sorry, Weasley. I honestly expected you to call in the life debt I owe you." Malfoy sighed. "You're the first person to reach out and see how either my mother or I was doing, so thank you."

Nearly stumbling back to his seat, Ron sat heavily as he tried to process the words coming out of the other wizard's mouth. He had never heard Malfoy apologise or say thank you.

Malfoy chuckled. "Yes, I do know how to apologise and say thank you."

Ron rolled his eyes, but he could feel the tension slowly start to dissipate between the two of them. Picking up his teacup, Ron raised it in Malfoy's direction.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Ron turned to face Harry. He gave his friend a pointed look. "I feel like we just went through this the other day with Draco's mum."

Harry laughed. "See! You're already calling him Draco. What next?"

"They'll be telling us they're a couple," Hermione said with a smirk. "By the time we start at Hogwarts, mark my words."

"Shush, Hermione," Ron said. A light pink blush tinged his cheeks and ears, but a small grin tugged at the corner of Ron's lips. "I don't even know why you're giving me a hard time, Harry, when you're going to be testifying too."

Harry tactfully chose to ignore the fact that Ron didn't deny Hermione's words. "Because it's so much fun."

"To your seats please," a voice said, silencing anything else the trio was going to say, "The trial for Draco Lucius Malfoy is about to begin."

Ron sat down with Harry next to him. Hermione sat behind them as she was there to support the two of them.

A door on the side of the courtroom opened and Draco Malfoy stepped in.


End file.
